Summary
Racing has become quite commonplace in the realm of video games, with many titles trying to integrate enjoyable driving mechanics and the like in their titles to make for an engaging experience that covers all bases. Of course, nothing comes close to dedicated racing games that try their best to either allow for enjoyable arcade racing, feature hyper-realistic driving mechanics, or employ a mix of both to great effect.
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However, there are times when players just want to engage with racing more casually in their games instead of focusing on it as the sole form of gameplay. Many titles have received this memo, integrating a wealth of racing minigames that are pretty engaging to go through in their own right.
7Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
One of the greatestStar Warsgames of all time, the sheer love and passion thatKnights of the Old Republichas for the source material is clear for everyone to see. The story is considered by many to be the greatest narrative using theStar WarsIP to date, which is hefty praise given the quality of the epic storytelling present in this series.
The loyalty to the source material is also clear for everyone to see, withswoop racing playing a pretty prominent role in the game. It’s only mandatory for the story in one instance, following which players can engage in more pulse-pounding swoop racing events to earn money and go through sidequests without too many issues.
6Chrono Trigger
Chrono Triggerisa legendary JRPG that needs no introduction. The trio of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Akira Toriyama, and Yuji Horii formed a dream team that helped contribute to the development of this amazing game that still sets the gold standard when it comes to how JRPGs should be structured, with many modern takes in the genre still paling in comparison to this masterpiece.
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The game also features a pretty engaging racing minigame set in the future where players must race a man called Johnny on a Jetbike, using a combination of positioning and boosts to take the lead and win the race the first time in an event that is mandatory for story purposes. Following this, players can engage in the racing game multiple times to rack up a higher score and get more prizes.
5Super Mario Odyssey
One of the greatest platforming games ever made, the sheer amount of creativity present inSuper Mario Odysseyis truly mind-blowing. The idea of taking over enemies by using a cap and utilizing their special abilities to overcome certain challenges made for a great time, with the level design being especially inspiring.
The game also features two racing challenges that players will have a great time with. The Koopa Freerunning challenges in each level have an easy and hard variant, while the Bound Bowl Grand Prix is important to the story and does a great job of combining bouncing with racing mechanics to great effect.
4Psychonauts
Psychonautsis one of the most imaginative platformers that fans can check out, with both this game and its sequel being pretty fun to play through in their own right. Razputin is a fun protagonist with a wealth of engaging powers that he can use to zoom through platforming challenges while exploring the deepest recesses of a person’s mind.
The first gamefeatures a fun race in Milla Vodello’s mindthat players need to win if they want access to the Levitation power. It’s a fun and boisterous time in one of the game’s best levels… although this area also hides one of the darkest secrets in the game if players explore to their heart’s content.
3Super Mario Party
It’s only a given that a party game known for having engaging minigames would have racing in some form or the other, withpretty much everyMario Partygamefeaturing this mode in some form or the other.Super Mario Partyis no exception to this rule, featuring three racing minigames with unique mechanics.
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Trike Harder involves players using the motions of a Joy-Con to ride their tricycles, while Barrelling Along involves the player rolling a barrel down a course full of hazards to reach the end before anyone else. Finally, Rowboat Uprising sees players team up to row their way to the end of an aquatic course while combining their efforts to avoid any obstacles along the way.
2Yakuza: Like A Dragon
TheYakuzagames are known for their fun and engaging minigamesthat can suck hours out of a player’s life without any warning whatsoever. The quality of these minigames has increased with each successive entry, andLike a Dragonis no exception to this golden rule. The side content is so engaging that players can’t be faulted for skipping out on the main story, with Dragon Kart being one of the best activities that Ichiban can engage with in the game.
This minigame is clearly inspired byMario Kartand is a blast to play through, mainly because of its wacky nature that perfectly captures the spirit of theYakuzaseries. Winning enough races nets many valuable rewards that can make a player’s journey through this game way easier.
1Bully
It’s only a given that a Rockstar game would have really polished racing mechanics, andBullyis no exception to this golden rule.While their mainstream titles have so much focus on drivingthat calling their races ‘minigames’ wouldn’t be apt, the same restrictions don’t really apply toBully.
The game has both bicycle and cart races that feel great to play with and are pretty fleshed out too. It’s a great way for players to engage in the many side activities present in the game world if they’re getting bored by following the main story over and over again.
